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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654956">And Brenda was Filled with Kindness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkinoodle/pseuds/punkinoodle'>punkinoodle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>People Say I'm Kind [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Childhood, Family, Friendship, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", Reunions, Self-Insert, Undertale Pacifist Route</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2016-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2016-04-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:40:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26654956</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/punkinoodle/pseuds/punkinoodle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aching and confused, the six human souls wake up in stone coffins after being released by Asriel and helping to break the barrier to the surface. Hand in hand, they seek to find where they came from and a place where they belong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>People Say I'm Kind [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939396</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And Brenda was Filled with Kindness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I wrote this in 2016. There are mad typos. My writing has since improved. Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brenda woke to the sound of a child crying. It was a desperate sound, but it was muffled, and she could not tell from which direction it came. She opened her eyes, or at least, she thought she did. It was so dark that she could not tell for sure. She blinked several times in her blind confusion. Where was she? The last thing she remembered… She strained to think.</p><p>Another child began to wail. She decided to deal with her situation first, and leave remembering where she was or how she got there until later. She lifted her hands and felt around. The first thing she noticed was how cold and stiff her fingers felt. She tried to draw her legs into her chest, but found that she could not even lift her legs high enough to place her feet flat on the surface on which she was lying. The tops of her knees stopped against something hard and very cold.</p><p>She lifted her hands and pushed with her palms against the solid surface above her. Suddenly, she was aware of a piercing pain in the top right corner of her head. She released the surface, gasping for breath. Now the cries of the children drilled like metal skewers into her brain. But even in the midst of her suffering, Brenda's heart went out to the wailing children. She wanted to ease their suffering, not only for her own sake, but for theirs. She knew in her heart that she wanted to help them, that she needed to help them feel better.</p><p>Filled with Kindness, Brenda redoubled her efforts against what she had decided to be a heavy stone slab placed directly over her her heart beat behind her skull, she succeeded in lifting the slab a crack. Grey light poured in, assaulting her tender eyes. She hissed in pain, but held the slab steady, and managed to tip it over the sides of the container in which she was lying. It hit the floor with a loud bang, which caused her to wince and clutch her head in agony.</p><p>It took her a while to adjust to the light and to her surroundings. She sat up, rubbing her right eye in discontent. To her left, she heard a sharp thud, and a muffled cry of frustration and pain. She looked over to examine the source of the noise, and gasped. She was sitting in the exact middle of a row of grey stone coffins. Colourful hearts decorated the lids; one heart per coffin, and each a different vibrant hue. Instantly, she knew in her heart that there were others who lay within them. "They'll suffocate in there!" she thought desperately to herself.</p><p>But just as the idea came into her mind, the lid of the coffin directly to her right began to grind open. As she stood, she saw a boy about her own age sit up slowly. He was wearing a bandanna around his neck, and a suede cowboy hat sat crumpled in his lap. Clumsily, he pulled it onto his head, and tipped it to her politely. She nodded in response, then stepped cautiously out of her cold, stone container.</p><p>Even out of her coffin, Brenda found it difficult to tell from which direction the crying came. The other boy rose much more quickly than she had, though he kept one arm wrapped solidly around his stomach. They stood awkwardly for a moment, then Brenda began to walk unsteadily around his coffin to the next one on the right. The boy seemed to start, then removed his arm from around his waist and climbed out over the edge of his former confinement. He and Brenda worked together to move the lid off of the next coffin over. Inside of it lay a small boy who looked to be about seven or eight. He was lying flat on his back, his brow furrowed and his right fist in his mouth. She frowned down at him in concern.</p><p>He was not one of the criers, but he seemed to be in a fair bit of pain. She offered her hand to him. He did not take it, but attempted to scramble up, his fist never leaving his mouth. His efforts, however, were in vain, and he quickly collapsed back into the coffin. Tears welled in his glinting eyes.</p><p>"My back hurts," he whimpered from around his fist.</p><p>"It's okay," Brenda muttered in return," Just lie there. We won't leave you behind."</p><p>Her head was beginning to throb a bit less. She wasn't sure whether it was because her body was waking up, or because of some other cause, but either way, she was thankful. Behind her, she heard the grinding sound of another coffin lid being opened. She and the older boy turned to face the movement. The occupant of the coffin adorned with the dark blue soul had broken free and was propping herself up on two dainty elbows. Slowly, she sat up, and looked at the two who were already standing. Her wispy, light brown hair was tied into a bun, and she wore a tight-fitting black leotard.</p><p>Brenda approached her with curiosity and concern.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>The girl looked at her steadily, and replied with a calm voice.</p><p>"I can't stand up."</p><p>Brenda walked close enough to see that, while her pale pink tights were torn and stained a dark brown in some places, her legs appeared perfectly sound. Her face fell in concern.</p><p>"You legs look fine. I hope you feel better soon."</p><p>The girl did not reply. But from the position she was in, Brenda could hear that the cries were coming from the two coffins on either side of the girl. The standing boy also seemed to notice this, and each of them moved to free their occupants from their stone confinements.</p><p>Brenda claimed the coffin between the newest girl to wake and the one in which she had originally been lying. The heart on the cover was light blue, and under it was a simple inscription: "Mia." She braced her legs and tugged the cover off the coffin. As the stone was drawn away, the more desperate of the wails doubled in volume. Beneath the lid was a very small girl with full cheeks and a thick, disheveled mass of dark hair. She was small enough that she was able to curl up into a ball inside her coffin, and had done so, though it was obviously not giving her any comfort. Her face and eyes were flushed, and her cheeks streamed with tears.</p><p>Brenda crouched beside her and spoke to her quietly.</p><p>"Hey! What's wrong? What's the matter, dear?"</p><p>The girl opened her eyes for a moment to glance up at her, but immediately screwed them shut again.</p><p>"It hurts… it hurts!" she whimpered.</p><p>Between sobs, she repeated this like a mantra, as Brenda shifted onto her knees.</p><p>"What hurts?"</p><p>"Everything!"</p><p>The girl kept sobbing and whining, though her cries were gradually becoming less shrill. Brenda waited patiently, cooing to her softly until she had reduced her wailing to an occasional whimper. Brenda stroked her face gently, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She reached for the corner of her apron. It was slightly dirty, she remembered, but it would be more absorbent than her hand. To her surprise, she found that she was not wearing an apron at all. Looking down, all she saw on her body was a stretchy blue shirt and a pair of classic jeans. She shook her head in confusion, and returned her attention to the girl. Her breathing was ragged, but she had ceased her cries.</p><p>"Is your name Mia?" she asked her, softly.</p><p>The girl nodded.</p><p>"And how old are you, Mia?"</p><p>"Six."</p><p>They sat for a while in silence. Brenda withdrew her hand, and Mia rolled onto her back, still sniffling from her outburst. On her right, Brenda could see the boy with the bandanna crouching by the furthest coffin, the one with the purple heart on the lid. A small boy with red hair was sitting up inside it, clutching the older boy's hand. His other hand tightly gripped the coffin's edge. He also was sniffling, and trails of snot ran from his nose. The older boy was speaking to him gently.</p><p>"There ya go, pardner. No need to be so upset."</p><p>Mia broke the silence that had fallen between the herself and Brenda.</p><p>"Where's Toriel?"</p><p>Brenda searched her rain for a moment. The name sounded a little familiar, but…</p><p>Suddenly, memories came flooding back to her. Visions passed before her mind's eye of her loving caretaker; her purple dress, her reading glasses, her warm smile, her Home, her delicious butterscotch-cinnamon pie. A great longing rose up within her to see the great boss monster, and to feel her loving arms around her again. She was filled with memories of her kindness. Despite the melancholy in her heart, she felt reinvigorated. She turned back to Mia.</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>The girl's eyes were locked onto her, watching her scrutinously. Brenda reached out a hand to her, and said,</p><p>"Mia, do you think you can sit up?"</p><p>Mia didn't respond at first.</p><p>"It's alright. I'll wait for you."</p><p>For a minute or two, Mia watched her. Brenda sat with her hand outstretched, never retracting her offer of assistance to the girl. Then, something in Mia's face changed. She took Brenda's hand, and pulled on it hard. She stood up completely, and carefully stepped out of the cold stone. She released Brenda's hand.</p><p>"It hurts a little bit less now."</p><p>Brenda smiled at her.</p><p>"That's good!"</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>"I want to go see the other children."</p><p>"Okay. Let's go!"</p><p>Brenda lead her to the other woken children. The red-haired boy was shakily standing, aided by the boy with the cowboy hat. The girl who couldn't stand was still sitting in her box, watching the others stoically. Mia left her side and approached the red-headed boy. Brenda let her go, but didn't watch her too carefully. She had the strange feeling that she was forgetting something. Behind her, she heard a high-pitched grunt of frustration. She remembered the boy with the injured first, and ran back over to check on him. Her head was hardly hurting at all anymore, and her perception had improved quite a bit.</p><p>When she arrived at his coffin, Brenda saw that the boy was still lying on his back, but was fidgeting furiously.</p><p>"I can't get up!" he exclaimed when he saw her.</p><p>She got down on one knee beside him.</p><p>"Why? What's wrong?"</p><p>"My back hurts! It feels like it's burning!" He screwed up his face, his eyes squinting in frustration and pain.</p><p>"I know it hurts, bud, but you've gotta push through it! Be brave! You can do this!" Brenda reached into the coffin and extended her hand to him.</p><p>This seemed to have an inspirational effect on the boy. He gritted his teeth and sprang to his feet. Brenda clapped cheerfully for his success. THe pain in her head was totally gone, much to her relief.</p><p>The boy staggered, but did not fall. He stepped out of the box determinately. He thanked Brenda politely, and trudged steadily over to the rest of the children. Brenda beamed at his recovery, and followed him to the small group that had formed by the sitting girl's coffin.</p><p>Except she wasn't sitting. She was standing shakily, leaning on the boy with the cowboy hat. He lifted her out of the coffin, and set her bare feet gently on the grey stone floor. It took her a moment to find her balance, but she did, and finally, she was free from her cold confinement.</p><p>Now that her concern for them had been relieved, Brenda was able to get a better look at the other children. The newly-standing girl was both barefoot and wearing tights, which confused her, until she noticed that the tights were torn and cut up to the girl's knees, hanging in shreds down her porcelain calves. Her limbs were slender but toned, and Brenda guessed that she was very strong. Her long-sleeved leotard revealed a tall, athletic figure, which had yet to be touched by any sign of puberty. Her eyes were a watery blue, and due to the cold, her lips were a similar shade. Her skin was clear, and Brenda suspected that the delicate veins she could see lacing her arms and neck would fade in a warmer environment.</p><p>The boy who supported her was about her height, but this was the biggest, if only similarity between them. While the girl was delicate and slender, he was broad-shouldered and steady. His tanned skin glowed with a hearty hue, and his honey-coloured hair was curly and full. Thick black lashes framed his emerald eyes. He had the thinness of youth, but he appeared healthy and strong. He was wearing a red and white gingham shirt, coupled with a pair of beige khaki pants. Leather cowboy boots were on his feet, though no spurs were attached to the heels. Brenda's heart warmed at the kindness he showed to the other girl, and she smiled in spite of herself. But when his eyes met hers, she quickly looked away, feigning interest in the red-haired boy until her curiosity became legitimate.</p><p>The boy's hair, in addition to being red, was cut extremely short. Brenda guessed that if it were a tad longer, then it would be curly. He was quite short for age, but he had an air of innocent maturity about him that gave him a thoughtful appearance. It also made him very difficult to place age-wise. His eyes were a piercing blue, and a spattering of freckles brightened his cheeks and nose. His skin, like the girl's, was very pale, though it was not nearly as transparent. He was dressed in a long-sleeved, green t-shirt with a cartoon dinosaur printed on the front, and a pair of stretchy, black pants. The cuffs of his pants and his shirt sleeves were just a bit too short for his wrists and ankles, though he didn't seem to mind. On his feet were a pair of worn running shoes. The laces were frayed, and there was a hole in the toe of the shoe on his left foot. He was talking to Mia, and groping around unsteadily in the air. His eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing. Brenda wondered if he needed glasses.</p><p>Mia was standing next to him, giggling, and helping him not to fall over as he investigated their surroundings. She was wearing a red dress made of cheap velvet and a pair of ribbed, white tights. She was not wearing shoes, but Brenda thought that it was possible that she had kicked them off during her flurry of tears. Her eyes were dark, but the whites were still red, and her cheeks were still stained with the tracks of her tears. Indeed, they made a comical pair, Mia and the boy, laughing and stumbling in their tattered clothes and teary faces.</p><p>Finally, zipping around and between the older children was the boy with the injured fist. His dark, almost black eyes glinted from an olive-shaded face. His black hair was short and spiked with some sort of gel, though Brenda thought it possible that the hairs were standing up from his pure energy alone. He was bigger than the red-headed boy, though he seemed to possess less maturity. Brenda struggled to discern which of the two was older, but decided that it didn't matter, really. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of camo shorts. Each time he put his feet down, a set of red lights flashed from the soles of his shoes. Brenda was glad that this boy was in possession of shoes like these. She thought it was very likely that he got enough enjoyment out of them to make them worth twice their monetary value.</p><p>Smiling, Brenda approached the group. One by one, they all fell silent and looked at her. All, that is, except the boy with the light-up shoes, who kept dashing around until the boy with the cowboy hat grabbed him, bringing him to a reluctant halt. He winced in pain as he did so, which prompted Brenda's initial question.</p><p>"Is everyone alright?"</p><p>Some of the children nodded, some, especially the younger ones, stared at her, and the boy with the light-up shoes only struggled in the older boy's grip. Brenda squirmed a little under their gaze.</p><p>"To be honest," she continued, "I don't know where any of you have come from, and I don't think I've ever seen you before. But I think it would be a good idea to stick together, at least for now."</p><p>This time all the children nodded in agreement, except, of course, the squirming boy, though he was a bit calmer than he had been a few moments earlier. The girl with the tattered tights spoke up.</p><p>"How about we go around and say our names?"</p><p>"And how old we are," added the boy on whom she was leaning.</p><p>Brenda nodded.</p><p>"Okay, that sounds good. I'll go first. My name's Brenda, and I'm twelve years old."</p><p>She motioned to the girl on her left, the girl in the ragged tights.</p><p>"My name is Isabelle, and I'm ten."</p><p>Next was the boy with the cowboy hat.</p><p>"I'm Samuel, and I'm eleven."</p><p>He released his grip on the now-steady younger boy.</p><p>"And what about you, little buddy?"</p><p>"My name's Joseph, and I'm seven!"</p><p>Joseph enthusiastically held up eight fingers, which evoked a giggle from the older girls. Joseph pulled his fingers back down in front of his face and stared at them, counting them in confusion.</p><p>"Mia?" Brenda prompted.</p><p>"I'm Mia, and I'm six," Mia said, proudly. She poked the red haired boy beside her.</p><p>"Now you."</p><p>The boy cleared his throat.</p><p>"I'm eight, and my name's Frasier."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>Brenda smiled at him, causing him to shrink back in embarrassment.</p><p>"Does anyone know how we got here?" Isabelle inquired.</p><p>She looked around the group, but everyone was either looking away or shaking their heads.</p><p>"Maybe if we look around a little, we'll figure it out," Samuel offered.</p><p>"That's a good idea," Brenda replied, "Maybe it'll jog our memories to see where we are."</p><p>"Alright then, it's settled," Isabelle agreed. She turned to Samuel.</p><p>"Sorry, but could you help me just a little while longer? I don't think I can walk on my own."</p><p>"Of course, ma'am. It's not trouble at all," Samuel generously replied.</p><p>Brenda beckoned to the younger ones.</p><p>"Come on, now!"</p><p>"I'm hungry," Mia protested.</p><p>"Well, maybe we'll find some food along the way."</p><p>She extended her hand to the girl, who took it placidly. Brenda lead them as far as the last coffin in the row, where she stopped in pressing bewilderment.</p><p>"Wait, we missed someone!"</p><p>"No we didn't; it's open," Mia pointed out.</p><p>"Let's check the lid. I think they have our names on them," Samuel suggested.</p><p>The kids crouched around as Brenda lifted the cover up to the light and read it aloud.</p><p>"Chara."</p><p>The name echoed around the room, filling the children with dread.</p><p>"Or is it Chara?" Brenda pronounced the 'cha' like chair, cocking her head in curiosity.</p><p>"Has anyone heard of a girl named Kah-ra? Chair-a?"</p><p>The children strained their minds, but none of them could remember ever hearing the name before.</p><p>"I don't think we're gonna solve this one," Samuel interjected, "Why don't we keep going and leave this be for now?"</p><p>Brenda responded by nodding and taking Mia's hand once again. She lead them out the door and up a very tall set of stairs, at the top of which was another long, grey hallway.</p><p>Brenda began to get the feeling that she had been in this hallway before. She remembered feeling a sense of dread and growing excitement. She remembered her pockets weighing down with food and matches. She remembered holding a metal pan in her right hand, flipping it over and over in nervous anticipation. She remembered yellow flowers…</p><p>She lead them through a wide doorway and into a large room that was flooded with sunlight. The walls were coated with gold, and a tall gold and purple throne sat in the center of the room. But the most magnificent sight was the flowers. The entire floor was made of rich soil and luscious green grass grew around the edge of the room. But the center, growing right up to the throne and winding around its mighty feet were enormous, fragrant, golden blossoms.</p><p>Brenda gasped in delight. She released Mia's hand, who ran up to the flowers, smelling them and spreading her hands in the softness of their petals. Joseph dashed forward and dived head-first into the flowers, making zooming and explosion noises as he ran.</p><p>"Joseph, don't! You'll ruin them!" Isabelle cried.</p><p>But the flowers appeared to be very sturdy as well as beautiful, and soon all the children were walking around and resting on the golden blossoms. Brenda approached Samuel, just as he was carefully helping Isabelle to rest on the carpet of gold.</p><p>"I'm going to go out into the hallway to see if I can find anything to eat," she told him.</p><p>Samuel stood from his crouching position.</p><p>"I'll go. You stay here and rest a while."</p><p>Brenda shook her head.</p><p>"No. Isabelle might need you again, and I think it would be better if you kept an eye on Joseph. I get the feeling he'd listen to you better than me."</p><p>Samuel shrugged his shoulders.</p><p>"Alright, then. I'll stay here. Good luck, pardner."</p><p>He extended a hand Brenda. Hesitantly, she took it, and he shook it heartily. Brenda laughed a little, then waved to him before she turned and walked back into the hallway.</p><p>It took her a moment to get her bearings in the vast, monochromatic hallway. But before long, she had identified the staircase up which they had come, and was off down the long corridor on her right. At the end of it was another staircase and a large, white elevator. While Brenda had vague memories of all the other places that she and her new friends had seen, the elevator was completely new to her. She was sure that this area had only had stairs before; in fact, part of what she remembered was the soreness of her legs, worn from climbing step after step.</p><p>For this and other reasons, Brenda decided to leave the elevator alone and start her investigation at the bottom of the staircase. There was no handrail, but the steps were smooth and dry. There were many, many fewer steps than the ones she and the other children had ascended a few minutes earlier. She was at the bottom in a few moments, and was faced with a wide, rectangular gap cut away from the wall, out of which shone a pure, golden light.</p><p>Brenda slowed her pace and cautiously slipped through the entrance. Before her stood a silent, golden hall. The walls and floor were made of gold, golden pillars supported the arched golden ceiling, and gold light streamed through the gold-tinted stained glass windows. Each footstep echoed through the hall as Brenda made her way across to the other side.</p><p>She felt naked without her pan. She kept trying to hold up the iron frying pan she used to carry around with her, but unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. She tried to distract herself by looking up at the ornate decorations in the hall. On the windows, she noticed a pattern which rang a bell somewhere in the back of her mind. She recognized the simple rune, a circle with two adjacent triangular figures, as the symbol for an angel. A very old monster had once taught her to identify the rune, and had told her the legend of a mysterious figure who was to descend into the underground and liberate the monsters from their sub-terrestrial prison. Brenda had always thought that she would be the angel to free the monsters. She had grown quite fond of them during the time she had spent with them, and she had such confidence that she would achieve her goal. Which was…</p><p>Try as she might, she could not remember. What was she trying to do? Was it the reason she recognized the place she was in now? What had happened to her, anyway?</p><p>This last question was too interlaced with other equally important questions to which she also had no answer. For that reason, she did not feel up to the challenge of facing it immediately. Instead, she turned her mind to the other interpretation of the legend. Some said that the descendant from the surface might be an angel of death, a servant of evil sent to destroy the creatures of the underground, brutally and without Mercy. She wondered for a sickening moment if this prophesied angel of death had already come through, leaving behind a silent wasteland, of which this castle was but a mere reflection.</p><p>But she shook this thought from her mind. If a ruthless killer had come through, wouldn't she also be dead? She hurried to the end of the room, where she saw a small, wooden chest and a sparkling ball of light. The light was gold like the room, but it was somehow different from the light and the gold that pervaded the rest of the hall. It stood out against the floor and attracted her attention immediately, so much so that she barely even noticed the box standing beside it. Even at twelve years old, she still felt the pressing urge to reach out and touch it. But when she tried, her hand passed right through it, without any sensation to indicate that she had tried to touch it all. Instead, she was filled with the urge to investigate what was in the box.</p><p>"I don't know what I was expecting. It's light," she thought to herself.</p><p>She opened the box, and discovered that it was much larger on the inside than she had anticipated. In it, she found several items, many of them edible. She gathered the food into her arms, and attempted to put it in her pockets. To her surprise, she found that she already had several objects on her, including and empty teacup and a mouldy wedge of cheddar cheese. She dropped the rancid food in disgust, though it did bring back certain memories of placing similar pieces of cheese in specific places along her journey in hopes of coaxing mice out of their holes.</p><p>She wondered if the mice might one day leave their holes and get the cheese… or if they already had.</p><p>From the box she was able to retrieve two monster candies, half of what appeared to at one point be a double popsicle, and three parfait glasses filled with yogurt and edible, star-shaped glitter. There were no spoons with the yogurt, but she took them anyway. They would figure something out, she was sure.</p><p>There was also a toy knife in the bottom of the box which Brenda considered taking. She suspected that Joseph would like it. But she decided against it, her pockets being nearly full with food, on top of the fact that she didn't necessarily want to encourage violence in Joseph's already rowdy behaviour.</p><p>Pockets laden with her spoils, Brenda returned back the way she had come. She had found a new sense of purpose in the simple act of collecting the food, and was now eager to return to the others. The thought that she was helping to provide for her new friends filled her heart with gladness, and it seemed to provide for her a new burst of energy.</p><p>Gaily, she sprang up the stairs, all sense of worry or apprehension in her gone. Beaming with pride, she sailed into the flowered throne room, where the other children were gathered in a circle on the floor. Mia and Joseph scooted to either side to allow room for not only her, but for Frasier as well, who appeared to have been labelled 'goose' in their game a few moments earlier.</p><p>"Alright." Brenda said, practically involuntarily.</p><p>She pulled out the food, and the younger children's eyes lit up in delight. Immediately, Mia and Frasier reached for the glittery yogurt parfaits, which Brenda gladly handed to them. She offered one to Joseph, but he was more interested in the popsicle. When Brenda passed it to him, he bit into it eagerly, then shuddered from the cold. Brenda giggled, and pulled out two monster candies. She turned to Samuel and swung the candy several times in her hand.</p><p>"Catch!"</p><p>Samuel caught the candy flawlessly. Brenda then looked to Isabelle, who was sitting with her legs out in front of her.</p><p>"Are you feeling any better?"</p><p>Isabelle shook her head, causing her bun to bobble. She reached up to tighten it instinctively.</p><p>"I still can't walk by myself, if that's what you're wondering."</p><p>"Maybe this'll help."</p><p>She picked up the last glitter parfait and stretched on her hands and knees to pass it to the battered ballerina. Samuel intercepted her reach, and ensured its safe arrival to its recipient. Isabelle accepted it delicately and went to eat it, but paused, unsure of how to start on it without any utensils to do so.</p><p>"Sorry, there weren't any spoons."</p><p>"It's okay," she replied, and daintily dipped one finger in the mixture, licking it clean as politely as she could manage.</p><p>Brenda unwrapped the other candy and popped it into her mouth contentedly. The savoury-sweet taste brought back strong memories of her arrival in the underground. Suddenly, she longed once more to return to the ruins, and to see Toriel and her cozy home again. Guiltily, she remembered the sorrowful look Toriel had given her as she was leaving, just before she turned and disappeared forever from her sight.</p><p>Toriel had not tried to stop her from leaving, but Brenda knew that she had wanted to. Sometimes, she wished to herself that she had.</p><p>Her thoughts were broken by the voice of Samuel. Isabelle was leaning toward him, and Brenda guessed that they had been conferring together moments earlier.</p><p>"Hey Frasier," he called, "What's that written on the throne there behind you? There's somethin' etched there below the seat."</p><p>Frasier turned, his hands and mouth totally covered in the glittery cream. There was, in fact, a little, copper plate beneath the purple, velvet seat. He squinted at it intensely, his sticky mouth hanging open in confused anticipation.</p><p>"Frasier, can you read?" Brenda inquired.</p><p>Without taking his eyes off the plate, he answered,</p><p>"Yeah, but I don't have my glasses."</p><p>Immediately, Mia bounced onto her knees, dropping her empty yogurt glass.</p><p>"I can help him!"</p><p>She kneeled beside him enthusiastically, pointing to each letter in turn and haltingly sounding out each word. The other children hovered in anticipation as the message on the plate was slowly revealed. Between the two children, Mia with her sight and Frasier with his above-average reading ability, the message was finally uttered aloud:</p><p>"King Asgore Dreemurr."</p><p>An anxious murmur rippled through the group. Vivid memories flashed through Brenda's mind of a grand, imposing figure who shot fire at her from his furry paws. She remembered the flash of enchanted flame and the adrenaline which pumped through her body as she hid desperately behind her charred cooking pan. She sweated at the thought of the heat and the fear, but there was more that came to her mind than a ferocious battle. She remembered a kind face, and the mixed taste of forgotten love and loss that she felt in her heart when she saw him. She felt it in the very room in which she and her friends now sat. She remembered hope, and the sense that everything really would be alright in the end. The other children had begun to clamour with similar memories and emotions.</p><p>"He hurt me!"</p><p>"But he looked so nice…"</p><p>"He offered me tea."</p><p>"He reminded me of Toriel."</p><p>"Why did he attack us?"</p><p>"Where did he go?"</p><p>"I liked him."</p><p>"Me too."</p><p>Suddenly, Brenda was not sure what to think about this mysterious figure who had treated her so well, then had struck her down without Mercy. But what she did know was that she was not the only one who had been impacted by this name, and that the whole group was becoming unsettled by it. Her friends were beginning to look around the room uneasily as their unnerving memories came back to them.</p><p>She was surprised to notice, however, that not all of the faces in the room were uneasy or sour. Some, especially the younger children, looked curious, even glad, at the memories unlocked in their minds. She noticed that they seemed to like this figure, Asgore, even though he seemed to have treated them in the same way as he had treated her.</p><p>Her meditation was broken by Samuel's voice.</p><p>"This Asgore fellow… You all say that you've met 'im?"</p><p>The group nodded, some vigorously, some more apprehensively.</p><p>"And you say that you've fought 'im?"</p><p>Once again the children nodded. Joseph leapt up and dashed around the room excitedly.</p><p>"It was awesome! There was fire and a huge spear thing that he swung around like this!"</p><p>Joseph vigorously demonstrated with his juicy popsicle stick.</p><p>"But why would he fight us?" Brenda spoke up, "We're just children, and he's enormous! What could he possibly gain from killing us?"</p><p>"He said something about wanting to save his people," Frasier offered.</p><p>"I really don't think he enjoyed hurting us," said Isabelle, generously.</p><p>"But he did," Mia stated.</p><p>Isabelle didn't have a response for that. Mia wrapped her arm around Brenda's, and clung to her as in defence. Brenda received the gesture absent-mindedly, stroking her knotted hair with her free hand.</p><p>"Yes," she said, "I do remember him saying something about his people, and how he wanted them to be free. He wanted to give them hope. But wasn't that what we were supposed to do? Didn't you hear of the prophecy? The angel from above?"</p><p>Brenda was met with vacant stares and a sense of bewilderment. It seemed that none of the children recognized what she was talking about, or if they did, they were doing a very good job of hiding it. She glanced around desperately, searching for support from the echoing room. Mia rescued her from her discomfort by exclaiming,</p><p>"I don't care. He was really scary. I thought he was going to be nice, but then he tricked me. He wasn't nice at all! I don't like him! I don't like him…"</p><p>Silent tears were trickling down her cheeks, and she buried her face in Brenda's arm. Brenda rested a hand on her head and rocked her, soothingly.</p><p>Isabelle glanced around, guiltily. Samuel was avoiding eye contact and was fiddling with his hat. She pulled her legs into a cross-legged position, wincing as she did so. Taking a deep breath and clearing her throat, she began her rebuttal.</p><p>"I know he was scary, and that he hurt us, and we don't know why. But it doesn't do us any good to be angry at him when we don't know the whole story, and we don't know what he's really like. Even if he is the heartless murderer it seems like he might be, bitterness always comes back to harm you in the end."</p><p>Brenda was nodding slowly. The atmosphere in the room had shifted slightly, was heavier and yet more clear. Isabelle sensed her momentum and, after a short pause, added,</p><p>"And besides, I really don't think he's a bad person. I know he attacked us, but before that, he treated us so well. With respect, and as if he was sad to see us go. Even when he was fighting me, I could tell he wasn't hitting nearly as hard as he could have if he'd wanted to. It doesn't excuse him but… all the same… I think we should forgive him."</p><p>Isabelle's speech had caught the attention of all the children, even Joseph though he was still waking restlessly around the circle. Eventually, Brenda spoke up.</p><p>"I guess you're right," she acquiesced. "I don't trust him, but I see your point."</p><p>Samuel re-donned his hat and rose to his feet.</p><p>"Well, now that we're all in agreement, what say we get a move on. There's no use waitin' around here, and I think some of us are gettin' a little jittery."</p><p>He nodded to Joseph, who was quite literally bouncing off the walls by jumping into the air and kicking them with his feet.</p><p>Frasier and Mia giggled.</p><p>"I think that's a good idea," said Isabelle.</p><p>Without hesitation, she rose to her feet and dusted off the back of her leotard.</p><p>"Let's keep exploring, shall we?"</p><p>The other children stared at her, open-mouthed.</p><p>"Isabelle! You're alright!" Samuel exclaimed.</p><p>"You can stand again!" Brenda cried happily as she herself rose.</p><p>Isabelle smiled.</p><p>"Well, yes. I suppose I can!" She shook her legs once or twice and looked them over, her smile spreading into a wide grin.</p><p>Brenda shuffled her arm out of Mia's grasp, taking hold of her sticky hand in exchange. Frasier rose unsteadily, still weak without his glasses. In an instant, Samuel was by his side, leading him and keeping him steady as he had done with Isabelle. Brenda wondered if he hand any younger siblings or elderly family members to take care of back home.</p><p>They left their wrappers and yogurt glasses on the blanket of golden flowers. Brenda was too wrapped up in her memories and in the other children to notice; otherwise she would have insisted that the group stop to clean up the mess they had made. Together, they made their way to the end of the room. When they passed by the throne, Mia shied away from it, leaning in closer to Brenda. The older girl lead her in a wide curve around it, following Isabelle and Samuel as they crossed over to the giant, black, rectangular void which seemed to serve as a door between most rooms in this area.</p><p>No light shone from the doorway, but through it came a draft of cold, stale air which sent a shiver down Brenda's spine. The other children too looked apprehensive, despite their resolution only moments earlier to push on in exploration. Brenda felt a sense of dread hanging in the air. Memories flashed back to her of entering this room with the great King Asgore, weary but resolved, aching desperately to push past this final obstacle in her journey. One more she saw the great explosions of fire and felt the heat of enchanted flame burst up around her quaking body. In her mind's eye, she saw his face, great and sorrowful, not even able to meet her gaze, but lowered in humility and grief. Then came the crack of searing pain across the side of her head that brought her memories to an abrupt halt.</p><p>Brenda winced from the recollection and took a couple of steps back from the foreboding doorway. Mia began to slide behind her, placing her free hand on the inside of the older girl's elbow.</p><p>Before she could react, Joseph darted past her, dashing several meters into the open void.</p><p>"Joseph, stop!" Samuel called out to him.</p><p>Joseph did stop, but he stayed where he was, beckoning to the others, earnestly.</p><p>"C'mon! What are you waiting for? Don't be scared! Asgore can't get us if we're all together!"</p><p>Brenda's brow furrowed at his logic, but his energy was infectious. She grasped Mia's hand firmly and took a single step towards the void.</p><p>"Yeah, that's it! C'mon, it's not so bad! Whatever's out there, we can take it!"</p><p>He ran further into the room, shouting, "Bring it, Asgore! You ain't got nothin' on us!"</p><p>Isabelle laughed, and strode confidently into the darkness. Brenda and Samuel smiled at each other, then followed her, bringing the younger children along with them.</p><p>The air on the other side of the doorway was cold and light, giving the impression of a wide open space. A single beam of light fell from a rift in the earthy ceiling above them, illuminating a circular patch of grass in a pool of white light. The group trod slowly past it, craning their necks up to the source of the glow. As they walked silently by, Brenda was shook with the thought that she had been in this room before, or at least, one extremely like it. She remembered the scent of golden flowers, and lying flat on her back, staring up at a faraway sunset sky.</p><p>It was then that she finally remembered, the remainder of her missing memories rushing back to her and falling into place like puzzle pieces in her mind. She had not come down to the underground as a saviour to the monster race. Toriel, while lovely, was not her real mother, though she wished that she could be. Her ultimate goal was not to free the people or defeat the mighty Asgore, though these were things in which she had hoped she would succeed along the way. No. All she wanted was to be free, to return to the beautiful surface from which she had come. That's what all of them wanted, from the great King Asgore, to the tiniest spider in the ruins, to the owner of the sticky hand which she held in her own.</p><p>She looked to the faces of her friends. Their young features were etched with the cares of premature responsibility, with fear, and with bravery towards what was to come. They still did not know what lay ahead. But Brenda was glad for them, and for the wonderful discovery that they were about to make. Because in her heart, Brenda knew that soon, they would be free.</p><p>They reached the end of the dark room. It branched into an L-shaped hall, at the end of which was a grand doorway. Above the frame was a simple, decorative engraving that was both pleasant and solemn. Without a second thought, they passed through.</p><p>And so it was that the six children at last came to the exit of the underground and emerged into the light of the setting sun. Joseph was the first to cross the once-impenetrable barrier. Long before Brenda saw the light, she heard the jubilant whoops and cries of the boy as he revelled in the glory of the surface. Isabelle was next to pass through, followed quickly by the remainder of the children. Brenda began to laugh as the golden-red light washed over her, causing the fear and consternation of the past to melt away into the shimmering air.</p><p>They were standing on the peak of a tall mountain. All the wonders and marvels of the land were laid out before them, illuminated in a radiant, crimson glow. A brilliant sunset shone before them, celebrating their return to the human world as with a fanfare of light. The children stood, shading their eyes with their hands, breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the beauty of the landscape before them.</p><p>As they looked out at the gorgeous scenery, Frasier let go of Samuel's hand and pointed down at a dirt path partway down the side of the mountain.</p><p>"Look!" he exclaimed.</p><p>There, moving slowly down the path was a tall, broad figure, clad all in purple. Beside it was a smaller shape, who who wore a striped t-shirt and appeared to be holding the hand of the larger.</p><p>"It's Toriel!" Frasier cried.</p><p>At this, all the children looked, and found it to be so. They cried out for joy and began at once to run down the mountainside. Mia began to stumble and skid, her hand still tightly gripping Brenda's and her little legs working as hard as they could to keep up with the older girl's strides. Instead of releasing her hand, Brenda scooped her up by the armpits and held her on her hip as she ran. Mia wrapped her arms tightly around her neck, and the two dashed down the mountain slope together. The pair sped ahead of the others, their combined weight aiding their descent.</p><p>As they approached the two figures, Mia began to cry out.</p><p>"Toriel! Toriel!"</p><p>Toriel stopped, and the figure next to her paused by her side without releasing her hand. Without turning around, Toriel recognized the owner of the voice.</p><p>"Mia?"</p><p>She peeked over her shoulder and gasped at what she saw.</p><p>"Mia! Brenda!"</p><p>She dropped the hand of the child beside her, who waited stoically in place. She opened her arms, and Brenda launched herself into her loving embrace. Brenda saw tears glinting in her eyes just before she was buried in the warmth of her arms. Once more, she smelled the familiar scent of Toriel's fur and felt the softness of her dress and her chin tucked against the top of her head. After a few moments, she felt Mia being taken from her arms. She passed her up willingly, but did not release her embrace.</p><p>Toriel then noticed the rest of the children descending rag-tag down the mountain toward her. She gasped and cried out, her voice tight with sudden joy.</p><p>"Isabelle! Samuel! Joseph! Frasier! Oh, my children have returned to me!"</p><p>One by one, they barrelled into her arms, until the maternal boss monster was covered in a pile of bouncing, happy bodies. Joseph quickly let her go and ran off to play on the mountainside. But Brenda simply buried her face in Toriel's purple dress, relishing in the unbridled affection.</p><p>When she finally squirmed her way out of the group hug, she noticed the child who had been walking with Toriel watching her with a blank expression on her face. The child was short, but mature-looking. Her clothes were dirty, but in fairly good condition compared to the other children. Her bobbed, brown hair was rumpled, and there were creases around her squinting eyes. The girl looked very tired, but there was a spark in her eyes that told Brenda that there was nothing in the world that could make her give up on what she cared about.</p><p>It dawned on her that this child must have had something to do with the destruction of the barrier and the mysterious awakening of the six children. She felt a sense of quiet awe and respect for her, and the trials she must have faced, possibly only moments earlier. She turned to the girl, and introduced herself politely.</p><p>"Hello. My name's Brenda."</p><p>She extended her hand, which the girl took and shook kindly. Her grasp was weak, and Brenda wondered how exhausted she must be, both physically and emotionally.</p><p>The girl did not offer her own name, so after a short pause, Brenda continued.</p><p>"So, you're the one who broke the barrier? And set everyone free?"</p><p>The child nodded gently.</p><p>"Like the angel in the prophesies."</p><p>Once again, the child nodded, a small smile twinkling onto her face.</p><p>Brenda considered her for a moment, this child, with her drained look and the sparks glinting from the heart locket on her neck, the worn dagger in her hand, and her two brown, flaming eyes. This was the angel from the prophesies. She was the saviour, the victor, the one. But instead of feeling jealous, Brenda was glad. What a warrior this girl was, what a champion. She smiled back at her, warmly.</p><p>"You know, I think the two of us are gonna be good friends."</p>
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